A man has been jailed for seven years for the serious sexual assault of a woman in Edinburgh.
Abdul Farid Nabizada, 36, attacked a woman in the Portobello area of Edinburgh on Friday, 12 November, 2021.
He was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh today Tuesday, 11 August, 2026, after previously being found guilty at the same court on Tuesday, 7 July, 2026.
He has been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely and a non-harassment order was also granted.
Detective Inspector Kirsty McArthur said: “This was a shocking attack on a woman in the city, and Nabizada will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.
“We remain committed to tackling sexual crimes and bringing those responsible to justice. I’d encourage anyone who has been a victim of such crimes to come forward and report it to us.
“We’ll thoroughly investigate and have specially trained officers and partner agencies to support you throughout to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
The wife of a motorcyclist killed in a road traffic collision in 2024 has shared her family’s story as part of Police Scotland’s National Motorcycle Safety Campaign 2026.
56-year-old father and grandfather Ian Sloan died when his motorcycle collided with a car on the A719 Waterside to A77 Ayr Road around 3.10pm on Saturday, 15 June, 2024.
His wife, Shirley Sloan, is sharing her family’s story to raise awareness of the importance of road safety and encouraging all road users to remember to take care on Scotland’s roads.
The campaign follows the publication of a joint study published last year with Transport Scotland examining motorcycle fatalities between January 2015 and August 2024.
The study found that 269 people – including 253 riders and 16 passengers – were killed during that period. Despite accounting for less than 1% of traffic, motorcyclists represented 18% of all road fatalities in Scotland.
Shirley Sloan, wife of Ian Sloan, said: “Ian had bikes for all the time that I knew him, it was his love. Any time he was stressed or just not feeling great, he would go out on his bike.
“Hearing the words ‘I’m sorry but your husband was killed in a motorcycle accident’ was dreadful. Losing a loved one, in the manner that we lost Ian, it was so traumatic. You don’t have time to say goodbye, you don’t have time to put plans in place.
“One minute you’re a family of four, making plans for the future, and just in the blink of an eye, the heart of your family is gone.
“It’s left myself and my son and daughter with terrible anxieties as well. It’s like we are waiting for something bad to happen again.”
Inspector Hugh Niccolls, Head of Police Scotland’s Motorcycle Unit, said: “On behalf of Police Scotland, I’d like to thank Shirley Sloan and the Sloan family for taking the time and courage to share their story.
“Shirley’s story is a powerful reminder of the devasting and lasting impact that road collisions can have, not only on those directly involved, but also on the families, friends, and communities affected.
“We know our roads are busier with motorcyclists during the summer months, and so we continue to remind all road users to be mindful of one another.
“As Shirley mentions, road safety is a shared responsibility. Whether you’re riding a motorcycle, driving a car, are cycling or walking, we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe on Scotland’s roads.”
Shirley continues: “My message to all road users, whether you’re on a bike or a car, is ride to the road conditions. Don’t take chances, don’t cut corners and just take another look.
“That extra second to take a second look, even a third look, could make the difference to someone’s life.
“If someone has a collision in a car, there’s a fair chance they’re walking away. But that’s not the same for a biker.”
For more information and guidance on road safety, you can visit Road Safety Scotland at https://roadsafety.scot/.
Police in Edinburgh have launched their annual policing campaign to keep members of the public safe throughout the International Festival and Fringe.
Operation Summer City 2026 will provide a high-visibility police presence within the city-centre between 7 and 31 August, with the Capital’s population expected to double to around one million people during this time.
Local officers from Edinburgh, in particular, the division’s new City Centre Policing Unit, will be supported by colleagues from neighbouring local policing divisions, as well as officers from specialist and national departments, including Road Policing, Intelligence, CID and Public Order.
Police Scotland’s Special Constables will also be deployed throughout the month to support full-time colleagues, while PSYV teams will also undertake various engagement activities and share useful crime prevention and personal safety information with members of the public.
In addition to police undertaking reassurance patrols and responding to any incidents that may arise, a number of Project Servator deployments will take place.
Project Servator is a policing tactic that aims to reassure the public. It targets criminal activity, including terrorism.
Officers utilise a range of resources and also make use of various technology including CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). They will speak to people and local businesses to let them know what they are doing, remind them to be vigilant, trust their instincts and report any suspicious or unusual behaviour.
For the duration of the Festival and Fringe Edinburgh Division’s Facebook and X channels will be utilised to provide those who live, work and visit the city centre with useful information on staying safe, as well as giving an update as to the activity officers are involved in.
Superintendent Kathryn Fairfield, Gold Commander for Operation Summer City, said: “The Edinburgh International Festival is the largest festival in the world, given the length of time it runs for, and brings to the city people from all around the globe, all of whom wish to savour the sights, sounds and experiences of the Capital during the summer.
“We’ve been running Operation Summer City for several years now and are fully aware of the demands and challenges this time of year places on the city-centre and as such, we’ll have an appropriate and proportionate policing response in place throughout August to keep people safe and respond to any incidents that may arise.
“The public can assist us with our efforts to maintain safety and reduce criminality by always keeping hold of their belongings and never leaving valuables unattended. Similarly, if you see anything suspicious, please report it immediately so we can respond.
“If you’re enjoying the city’s night-time economy, look out for those in your group. Please also remember that we will utilise our Think Twice bail conditions for anyone charged with an alcohol-related violent offence and this will prevent you from entering a licensed premises during the Festival period until the outcome of court proceedings.
“Don’t let alcohol ruin your summer. Help us keep everyone safe and have a wonderful Festival period. Stay tuned to our social media channels for regular updates and crime prevention advice throughout the month.”
Almost 50 people have been arrested by officers from our new City Centre Policing Unit during their first month of operations.
From 1 to 31 July, a total of 49 individuals were arrested and 114 charges brought against them for a range of offences within the city centre during proactive patrols and reactive responses undertaken by the unit.
The CCPU officially launched on 2 July 2026, supported by funding from the City of Edinburgh Council’s Visitor Levy.
Over the last month over 2,300 hours of patrols by CCPU officers have taken place to engage with members of the public and businesses within the city-centre, respond to intelligence relating to criminal activity and provide a high-visibility presence to deter offending.
In addition to the arrests, two Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued for antisocial behaviour and a further 20 Recorded Police Warnings were handed out for incidents that did not require arrests to be made.
A total of 208 youth interactions were carried out to engage with young people visiting the city centre and build strong relationships with this demographic to help deter offences such as antisocial behaviour.
Extensive work has also been done to tackle street drinking in the Hunters Square area, with alcohol seized on 47 occasions.
Throughout August, CCPU officers will play a pivotal role in policing the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe to offer reassurance to the increased number of people within the city-centre and respond to any incidents that arise during this time.
Inspector Stephen Quinn, who leads the City Centre Policing Unit, said: “Our first month has been immensely challenging but extremely rewarding, as CCPU officers set about providing benefit to Edinburgh’s city centre.
“Extensive support from the CCPU was provided to staffing the cordons required to keep the public safe following the significant fire on Princes Street and this meant that resources that would previously have been required from other parts of the city were able to continue with their normal duties.
“Despite the demands of the fire, we have also been successful in tackling some of the key issues affecting the city-centre, including shop theft, antisocial behaviour and disorder.
“Working alongside key partners such as our colleagues at the Retail Crime Taskforce, Simon Community Scotland, Street Assist and representatives from the night-time economy, we continue to tackle hotspot areas and improve confidence in the policing response to ongoing problems.
“We’re under no illusion that more work needs to be done and we will continue to build on the success of our first month as we strive to make Edinburgh’s city-centre as safe as possible for all of those who live, work and visit the area.”
A man has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for the attempted murder of a woman in Leith.
Osarenkhoe Atutie, 26, previously pled guilty to the violent offence and was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow today – Wednesday, 5 August, 2026.
The incident happened during the morning of Tuesday, 11 November, 2025 in the Duke Street area of Leith.
Atutie approached the 30-year-old woman, who was known to him, and stabbed her repeatedly to her head and body with a knife.
Prior to emergency services arriving at the scene, members of the public helped the victim and also had apprehended Atutie nearby. They held on to him until officers arrived and arrested him at the scene.
The woman was taken to hospital and released following treatment.
Detective Sergeant Craig McMillan said: “This was a particularly harrowing incident, and my thoughts are with the victim and her family.
“I’d like to thank those members of the public who came to the victim’s aid during the ordeal. Without their intervention and assistance, there is a high chance that the victim would not have survived the attack.
“Tackling violence against women and girls is one of Police Scotland’s highest priorities and we continue to work with partners to achieve this.
“Violence in any form and the possession of weapons in any environment has no place in Scotland and is entirely unacceptable. Tackling the harmful effects of violent crime, which has a devastating impact on individuals, families and our communities, and supporting victims, remains a priority for our officers.”
POLICE are appealing for information following two assaults in Edinburgh.
Around 2.10am this morning (Saturday, 1 August, 2026), a man was assaulted on South Bridge near the junction with High Street. Enquiries to trace the victim, a man, are ongoing.
A short time later, the suspect continued further along South Bridge and assaulted another man, before walking towards Chambers Street. The man was taken to hospital for treatment.
The suspect is described as male, white, and between 30 and 40-years-old. He was wearing a green top, a dark-coloured gilet, white trainers, and a light-coloured baseball cap.
Detective Sergeant Steven Dick said: “Enquiries are ongoing and we are appealing to anyone who witnessed either assault to contact us.
“We’d also ask the victim in the first assault to get in touch with us.
“Anyone with information, private CCTV or dash-cam footage which could assist our enquiries, is asked to come forward.
“Information can be given be calling Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 0421 of 1 August, 2026. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for child sexual offences across Scotland.
Ross Jameson was sentenced today (Friday, 31 July, 2026) at the High Court in Edinburgh for indecently communicating and grooming eight girls, aged between nine and 15, throughout 2025.
He contacted the girls using a mobile phone app, and coerced them to take part in sexual acts and send indecent images and videos of themselves.
He pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, 10 February, 2025.
Detective Constable Fergus Kelly said: “Jameson is a depraved individual who gave no thought to his victims, using them only for his sexual gratification.
“These girls were extremely vulnerable and Jameson groomed and abused them. I hope this sentence brings them and their families some comfort.
“I want to acknowledge the strength of all the girls who provided information to police in this case. Jameson’s conviction is down to them.
“Police Scotland takes all reports of sexual abuse seriously, regardless of the passage of time.
“We remain committed to supporting victims of sexual crime and protecting children from harm and abuse. We will use all available resources to find and arrest the abusers.
“I would urge anyone who is a victim of abuse to speak to police in the knowledge you will be listened to, taken seriously and fully supported.”
